$2.6 million for Weir Road plans approvedIn a special meeting last week, four Russellville city council members and Mayor Randy Horton approved the final design for Weir Road improvements, and gave the go-ahead for bids on sewer and water contractors to open. Freddie Harris, Bill Eaton, Eric Westcott, Robert Wiley and Horton voted yes to the amended proposal, which is estimated to cost $2.6 million, a significant decrease from engineering firm Garver's initial estimate of $3.25 milli...

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BY SIERRA MURPHY
murphy@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Christmas WishTo adopt a Christmas Wish family, contact the Main Street Mission at 479-968-8303 between 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Main Street Mission will provide you with the family's wish list. Families that are still available are: u CW 5. One income family with 4 children. 3 girls, 9, 7, 6 and 1 boy, 6 u CW 11. Once income family with 3 children. 2 girls, 12 and 10 and 1 boy, 5 u CW 12. One income family with 3 children. 1 girl, 12...

Texarkana struggles to fund raises for police, firefightersTEXARKANA— The mayor of Texarkana said financial realities and not mishandled tax revenues are making it difficult to fund pay raises for police and firefighters. Mayor Ruth Penney-Bell told the city Board of Directors that city officials are not cheating officers out of "parity" pay raises, the Texarkana Gazette (http://bit.ly/2g7eIRU ) reported. "We don't have anything to hide," Penney-Bell said. "It's a misconception that this group, the ci...

Obituary: Karen BellCLARKSVILLE — Karen Kay Bell, 75, of Clarksville, passed away Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Clarksville. She was born Jan. 18, 1941, to Mr. Wayne and Marjorie (Brewer) Stratton. Karen was retired co-owner of Bell Jewelry. She is preceded in death by her parents and one son, Mitchell Bell. Mrs. Bell is survived by her husband, Tom Bell; one daughter, Janet (Phillip) Smith of Amarillo, Texas; one son, Phillip (Ladora) Bell of Clarksville; two sisters...

Obituary: Celine StoverDANVILLE — Celine Rita Stover, age 83 of Casa, passed away Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, at Perry County Nursing and Rehab Center. She was born April 9, 1933, in Chicago, Ill., to the late William and Mary Loretta Gauer Uting. She was a mother and homemaker and a member of the Casa First Baptist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas Stover; daughters, Mary Ann Stover and Rita Dicken; brothers, Bill Uting, and Harry Uting; sister, A...

Obituary: Donald UsseryDonald Ray Ussery, 65, of Atkins, formerly of Russellville and Booneville, died Sunday, Dec. 5, 2016, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. He was born May 24, 1951, in Pine Bluff. He is preceded in death by his mother, Helen Hubbard Ussery Barr and his stepfather, Reese Barr. His parents were D.L. Ussery, born in Yell County and Helen Louise Hubbard Ussery, born in Pope County. Arrangements are pending, under the direction of Russellville ...

Obituary: Tony SpearsDARDANELLE — Tony Don Spears, age 64 of Briggsville, died Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home in Russellville. He was born Feb. 17, 1952, at Danville to the late Clifford and Imogene Nichols Spears. He was a mechanic and a truck driver, loved fast cars, motorcycles, NASCAR and drag racing. He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Billy Ray Hill. Survivors include his wife, Diane Miller Spears of Briggsvi...

Obituary: Charles HarrisSEARCY — Charles Franklin Harris, age 83 of Searcy, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at his home. He was born March 3, 1933, in Marion County, Ala., to John Richard “Rip” Harris and Mae Virginia White Harris. Charles is a graduate of Auburn University, served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, and was a member of the Arkansas Poultry Federation for many years, and was awarded “Salesman of the Year” in 1979. Charles is survived by his wife of 54...

Obituary: Edith SbaboEdith Mae Cowan Sbabo, 87, of Russellville died Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, at Russellville Nursing and Rehab in Russellville. The daughter of Burch and Gladys Harris, she was born May 9, 1929, in Seminole, Okla. Edith was a retired housekeeping employee with Russellville Nursing. She was a loving mother to nine children and a member of the Grace Chapel Church. Edith enjoyed gardening, fishing, and flowers. She was preceded in death by her first hus...

Obituary: Anastacia MitchellAnastacia “Anna” Mitchell, age 76 of Dover, went home to be with the Lord on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at home. She was born April 15, 1940, to Apolinar and Sofia Gonzales Molina. Anna was a member of World Harvest Baptist Church. She loved quilting and teaching others how to quilt. She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Sarah and Louisa; and one brother, Juan. Survivors include her husband, Curtis Mitchell; two sons and daughters-...

Obituary: Larry EllisDARDANELLE — Larry Don Ellis, age 53 of Plainview, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. He was born Dec. 1, 1963, at Danville to John William and Beulah Leatrice Brothers Ellis. He was preceded in death by his father, John Ellis; one brother, Bobby Ellis and one sister, Darlene Ellis. Survivors include his wife, Kelly Ellis of Plainview; his mother, Beulah Ellis of Plainview; five children, Andrew and Ashley Ellis of Greenbrier, Jordan and Justin Marlow...

Obituary: Bob ParkerRev. Bob Parker, age 89 of Russellville, died Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, at Baptist Health and Medical Center. He was born on June 11, 1927, in Palestine to Robert J. and Allie Jean Whittle Parker. He was the founder of The House of Praise in Russellville and was in the ministry for 59 years. He loved to study the Bible and travel. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by his son, Dr. Dan R. Parker; a brother, Billy Gene Parker; and a...

Obituary: Linda Jo Stubbs-BrasselATKINS — Linda Jo Stubbs-Brassel of Russellville unexpectedly departed this life on Dec. 3, 2016, at UAMS in Little Rock. She was born Dec. 13, 1943, in Atkins, the daughter of the late Casey and Juanita Stubbs. She was preceded in death by a niece, Susan Heather Stubbs and a step-son, Billy Brassel II. Linda attended public schools in Atkins and graduated from Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, Calif. She married Bill Brassel in July ...

USS Arizona survivor heads to Pearl Harbor 75 years laterHONOLULU — Lauren Bruner was getting ready for church in 1941 on his battleship, the USS Arizona, when the alarm sounded. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor had begun, and Bruner, then 21, scampered up five stories by ladder to the enormous anti-aircraft guns he was responsible for manning. But bullets hit his left leg and explosions set off by the Sunday morning bombardment rocked his ship before he could get to the weapons. The ship sank ju...

Local man identified as boating victimDARDANELLE -- The Dardanelle Police Department said Tuesday the body found Thursday in the Arkansas River has been identified as John Hayes of Russellville. At approximately 4 p.m. on Thursday, the Yell County Mounted Patrol, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Yell County Search and Rescue Dive Team recovered a body from a search and rescue call that began on the Arkansas River in Dardanelle on Wednesday. The original call to 911 dispatch o...

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Courier Staff ReportsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Five-vehicle wreck leaves one deadLITTLE ROCK — A five-vehicle accident resulted in the death of a Plainview man at approximately 6:25 a.m. on Monday near the intersection of State Highway 7 and State Highway 155 in Dardanelle. According to an Arkansas State Police report, a 2003 Ford Focus, a 2011 GMC pickup driven by Donald Trampp, 38, of Parks, a 2015 Ford F-250 driven by Larry Ellis, 53, of Plainview and a 2002 Dodge Ram driven by Travis Quinn, 45, of Pencil Bluff, were tr...

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Courier Staff ReportsThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley

Fundraiser to benefit Russ Bus at Pediatrics PlusA fundraiser benefiting the Russ Bus will be from 1-2 p.m. today at Pediatrics Plus on North Sidney Avenue in Russellville. The fundraiser, called The Three C’s, will be conducted by brothers, Logan Drittler, 12, and Kasey Drittler, 9 and will have coffee, cocoa and chocolate bars for sale. The coffee and cocoa will be sold for $1 per large and $.50 per small and the chocolate bars will be $2 each. Kasey explained he heard about the Russ Bus w...

Stop yields $40,000 in marijuanaJose D. Rey, 33, and Edgar Lopez, 25, had their bond set at $25,000 each after Arkansas State Police allegedly discovered approximately $40,000 in marijuana in the vehicle they were driving eastbound on Interstate 40 near the 74 mile marker. The pair, who told District Judge Don Bourne they are from Los Angeles, were stopped on Friday around 2:50 p.m. in a white jeep sports utility vehicle for speeding and following too closely. When the offic...

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BY TRAVIS SIMPSON
simpson@couriernews.comThe Courier Your Messenger For The River Valley